The Optimistic

  Amarnath Cave Live ‘ Ekam sat ’ means ‘there is one Being’. It is the popular verse of Rigveda. As per this verse, God has three deities to carry on the tasks of the entire world. This is called Holy Trinity: Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the perpetuator of life and Shiva is the destroyer of evil, purifier and harbringer of good. In Rig Veda, Lord Shiva has also been mentioned as Rudra. According to Yajurveda, Lord Shiva has been described as an ascetic warrior who wears deer skin’s robe and carries a trishul in his hand. Lord Shiva is considered as a living God. He has three places of His residence – first and the foremost is Kailash Parvat, second one is Lohit Giri under which flows the Brahamputra and third one is Muzwan Parvat. Lord Shiva has been mentioned in the hymns of Rig Veda. Even in ancient India, Lord Shiva was worshiped and it is evident from the Mohinjodaro and Harappa findings. One of the prominent religious destinations dedicated to Lord Shiva is the ...

  Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple , also known as   Baba Baidyanath dham  and  Baidyanath dham  is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred abodes of Shiva. It is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas division of the State of Jharkhand, India. It is a temple complex consisting of the main temple of Baba Baidyanath, where the Jyotirlinga is installed, and 21 other  temples.            Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple  According to the stories narrated in the Shiva Purana, it was in the Treta yuga that Ravana the king of Lanka, felt that his capital would not be perfect and free from enemies unless Mahadeva (Shiva) stays there forever. He paid continuous meditation to Mahadeva. Ultimately Shiva got pleased and permitted him to carry his lingam with him to Lanka. Mahadeva advised him not to place or transfer this lingam to anyone. There should not be a break...

Durga Puja 2019 : Countdown Begins Durga Puja is widely celebrated in West Bengal and some other parts of India. It is observed every year during late September or early October. This festival is a celebration of the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. In 2019, Durga Puja is going to be celebrated on 4th October, 2019 with the Panchami Puja and will end on 8th October, 2019. The dates of this festival usually coincide with the last 5 days of Navratri, a popular celebration of the Hindus. The arrival of Goddess Durga on earth is observed as Mahalaya. The actual Durga Puja celebrations start 7 days after Mahalaya which is considered to be the day when Goddess Durga comes to our abode. History of Durga Puja Here's how the worship of Goddess Durga came into practice. In ancient times, there existed a buffalo demon called Mahishasura who had received a boon from Lord Brahma. According to this boon, no man or deity could kill Mahishasura. Having receive...

Bhadu Puja Bhadu  is the social festival of South Bengal. The festival starts from the first day of Bhadro.  the fifth month in Bengali Calender.  and continues till the end of the month. It has its origins in the story of a princess called Bhadravati (Bhadresvari) of Panchakote who committed suicide. Bhadravati's devotees make an image of her and sing and dance before it throughout the month. On the last day of Bhadra, they gather on the river bank and immerse the image in the water. Songs, mainly focussing on marriage, form the main attraction of the festival in which both professional groups and amateurs take part. Celebrations include fairs and cultural programmes. Bhadu festival is mostly celebrated in Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum & Bardhaman districts of West Bengal. Tradition / Oral History:- Bhadu was an orphan found by the chief (mukhya) of Lada village. Raja Nilmoni Singh Deo of Kashipur in whose kingdom Ladha is located has just introduce...

Durga Puja 2019 : Countdown Begins Durga Puja  The first grand worship of Goddess Durga in recorded history is said to have been celebrated in the late 1500s. Folklores say the landlords, or  zamindar,  of Dinajpur and Malda initiated the first Durga Puja in Bengal. According to another source, Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur or Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya organized the first  Sharadiya  or Autumn Durga Puja in Bengal in c. 1606. The origin of the community puja can be credited to the twelve friends of Guptipara in Hoogly, West Bengal, who collaborated and collected contributions from local residents to conduct the first community puja called the 'baro-yaari' puja, or the 'twelve-pal' puja, in 1790. The baro-yaari puja was brought to Kolkata in 1832 by Raja Harinath of Cossimbazar, who performed the Durga Puja at his ancestral home in Murshidabad from 1824 to 1831, notes Somendra Chandra Nandy in 'Durga Puja: A Rational Approach' published in  The...

Durga Puja 2019 : Dates & Times Durga Puja , also called  Durgotsava , is an annual Hindu festival in the Indian subcontinent that reveres the goddess Durga .It is particularly popular in, West Bengal, Bihar Jharkhand Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh and the diaspora from this region, and also in Nepal where it is called Dashain. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of  Ashvin , typically September or October of the Gregorian calendar, and is a multi-day festival that features elaborate temple and stage decorations ( pandals ), scripture recitation, performance arts, revelry, and processions.  It is a major festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism across India and Shakta Hindu diaspora. Durga Puja festival marks the battle of goddess Durga with the shape-shifting, deceptive and powerful buffalo demon Mahishasura, and her emerging victor...

 SARHUL :  A TRIBAL FESTIVAL One of the most popular tribal festivals celebrated across the Jharkhand region, Sarhul festival marks the beginning of New Year. It is celebrated by the Oraon, the Munda and the Ho tribes, of the Jharkhand region. Celebrated every year in the first month of the Hindu calendar, on the third day of the moon or the fortnight of 'Chaitra', Sarhul marks the advent of the spring season or “Phaagun” and is celebrated till the month of June or “Jeth” Sarhul means worship of trees. Being close to nature, these tribes start the Sarhul festival with the worship of trees and other elements of nature. Sarhul is one of the grand festivals of tribals in Jharkhand. This festival is celebrated on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya, the third day of bright half in Chaitra month. Tribals celebrate ‘Sarhul’, a festival marking the beginning of New Year, by worshiping trees. This annual festival is celebrated during the spring season when trees and other el...

Gangaur  is a festival celebrated in the India state of Rajasthan and some parts of Gujrat, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh Gangaur is colourful and one of the most important festivals of people of Rajasthan and is observed throughout the state with great fervour and devotion by womenfolk who worship Gauri, the wife of Lord Shiva during March–April. It is the celebration of spring, harvest and marital fidelity. Gangaur is all about honoring the goddess Gauri, and celebrating love and marriage. A manifestation of Parvati (Lord Shiva's wife), she represents purity and austerity. Married women worship Gauri for the good health and longevity of their husbands. Unmarried women worship her to be blessed with a good husband. Gana" is another word for Lord Shiva, and Gangaur signifies Lord Shiva and Parvati together. It's believed that Gauri won the affection of Lord Shiva through her deep devotion and dedicated m...